http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/14976595/major-rescue-as-five-washed-off-rocks/
I can't think of a worse place to get washed of the rocks, and five in one hit, what a nightmare!
Not good.
I am heaping up there in 2 weeks for our annual trip for 10 days. Have fished that area the last 4 years now. Falling off in front of camp would be devestating enough, its still quite a swim back to shore from there. And watching and catching sharks all day from the 1mt -3mt+ range wouldnt help your state of mind either.
But the back cliffs are really something else. We fished them in some seriously nasty conditions 4mt+ swells and 30kt+ winds, and we were all aware, if you went over the edge there on a day like that, it would be all over. Wether it be from the physical damage of hitting the cliffs or lower ledges on the way down from height, the fact that there is no where to get out AT ALL, strong currents and packs of large sharks like you have never seen. We figured if you were really really lucky, you might just drown.
Fingers crossed for those who have gone in, and i really hope the rescue is a sucsess.
What do you reckon, the back cliffs or the point at Thunder Bay? You'd have a chance of swimming in at Thunder(maybe), don't even want to contemplate going in off the Back
I very nearly went over the edge fishing Caves at Quobba by myself in '04, gave up rock fishing solo then and there.
www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/hopes-fading-for-fifth-missing-fisherman-20120927-26n5k.html
Four have been rescued. Great news. Hopefully they find the last person! Apparently they have spotted him and are just trying to reach him. Lets hope for the best!
I'll explain ^ I'm all for fun but in threads like this where peoples lives are in the balance I don't think its appropriate to joke about.
Anyhoo, back on topic, 8 were washed off, no-one else saw it, so the alarm wasn't raised until three managed to scramble back up. Five rescued after about 5 hours or so in the water, 1 still missing. Fingers crossed the last bloke is found, but realistically his survivability is getting quite low by now.
Could have so easily have been 8 drowned and no-one would know until they were overdue back home in a week or so.
I was lucky enough to experience fishing and camping around there earlier this year.
It was probably about a two meter swell for the full week and pretty strong Sth Easterly the whole time. We didn't really catch that much - according to the regulars. Lots of long toms and baby snapper, but only a few other more prized specimens, including: a few tailor, a nice looking trevally and only one spanyard. I did manage to eat one fish I caught on the same day, - I swear it tasted like lobster: I caught a nice big baldchin that I cooked in butter.
There was lots of solitude and fishing going on from those cliffs. What I remember most is that I didn't see another human, other than our group, for the whole 7 days I was there - not even in the distance. I also quickly became aware that if I was to fall off those cliffs, I'd be dead. The whole place made me think of what life must be like on Mars.
I think it's pretty amazing that a wave managed to wash 5 of them off those cliffs and at least four of them survived and lived to tell of the ordeal.
